


Come Back

by tompolland



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, College, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up, High School, Infinity War never happened, Light Angst, Moving, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-17 03:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14824427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tompolland/pseuds/tompolland
Summary: Another fic where you and Peter are best friends! You two have so many special moments together, also with Ned and Michelle. But when one phone call changes everything... what will happen between the two of you?





	1. Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve finally become un-writers blocked! Now I have too many ideas and not enough time... Anyways, enjoy! Not as sad as my other fics, btw :) (still a bit... not as much. No deaths... yet...)

 Aunt May turned out all the lights. Ned crouched down behind the couch, and you knelt behind the wall separating the kitchen and the living room. Even MJ was hiding between the bookshelf and the TV set.  
 The doorknob at the front of the apartment jiggled, and everyone held their breath. Aunt May hurried to her hiding spot next to Ned behind the couch. The door opened, and the light from the hall shone through.

 “May?” Peter called, throwing his bag down by the door.  
 “May, you home? Damn... it’s dark...”  
 He fumbled for the light switch, and as soon at it was turned on, May, Ned, MJ, and you all jumped from your hiding places.

 “Happy Birthday, Peter!” you all yelled, and poor Peter looked like he was about to have a heart attack.  
A heart attack with a smile on his face, though.

 “You remembered!” he cheered, and made it around the group to hug everyone. MJ politely declined and backed away.

 “Of course we remembered, ya nerd,” May laughed, ruffling his hair. He smiled sheepishly and adjusted his jacket.  
Aunt May served homemade Thai food that you provided, and all Peter could do was compliment you. After dinner everyone gave Peter their gifts, yours being two new dorky T-shirts for him to wear, which he loved. Dessert was donut cake from Ned, who knew the baker’s son’s girlfriend. You all sang Happy Birthday to Peter wearing multi-colored party hats and big smiles. He blew out all the candles, and the cake was cut.  
Aunt May went to bed earlier than everyone, and MJ left because she wasn’t into sleepovers. So you, Ned, and Peter all made a pillow fort in the living room and watched two of the Harry Potter movies.  
 You all fell asleep together after turning off the TV and sharing jokes and making memories, taking pictures with an old Polaroid.  
  
 And that was just one example of how good of a friend you were to Peter.

 You were all so close, all good friends, and MJ was occasionally hanging out with you as well. Today was another day at school in Chemistry class. You and MJ worked together while Ned and Peter worked together, and when the bell finally rang... you all ran to your lockers. Peter had some trouble with his, so you waited with him. You ran through the rain to take the train to his place, and since his Aunt May wasn’t home, blasted The Rubberband Man on a speaker and a collection of other old music. You watched Footloose, which you both agreed was not the greatest movie of all time. Even with Kevin Bacon.  
You and Peter were heating up a frozen pizza when your phone rang. You stepped into the hall to take your call, which was your dad.

 “Hey dad!” you say, shoving your free hand into your pocket and rocking on your heels. “What’s up?”

 Your dad sighs, and you know this isn’t good. Well, for you anyways.  
“When can you come home?”

 You pause for a moment. “Ah- well, me and Peter were about to have pizza...”

 “Come home. Why do you still hang out with him, anyways?”

 “Woah, dad... Peter’s a nice guy. Chill out, yeah? I’ll be home soon... for whatever reason is more important,” you snap, and regret it. Your dad did sound stressed.  
 “Sorry,” you say. “I’ll be by in ten.”

 When you go back inside, Peter is humming along to Queen and sitting in front of the oven.

 “Peter?” you say, pocketing your phone. He looks up at you with the shiniest eyes and the widest smile.

 “Yeah Y/N?”

 You bite your lip. “I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry, my dad wants me home... I think he wants to tell me something, besides... he sounded pretty stressed out. Thanks for having me over though!”

 Peter’s face drops. “Oh... yeah, no problem. See you at school tomorrow?”

 You smile and nod, giving Peter a salute and your personal handshake. “Of course. Thanks again!”

 “No problem,” he says quietly, and looks up at the oven from where he’s sitting on the floor. His plan had been going so well... it was supposed to be perfect. He wished you didn’t have to go... little did he know.


	2. Tomato Sauce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I don’t know if this is what you were expecting (or what I was expecting!) but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless... and I know for certain the chapter after this will be fUll of good stuff! -TH

 “Dad?” you called through your apartment, dropping your backpack by the door. His head peered through the kitchen doorway.

 “In here, kid.”

 You went into the kitchen and sat across from him at the table. There were papers all over it, so you kept your hands in your lap.

 “What’s all this about, dad? I left Peter by himself with a pizza...”

 He rolls his eyes, but then his expression softens.  
 “You’ve really got some good friends here, haven’t you?”

 You nod, suspicious. “Yeah... Where’s this going?”

 Your dad hangs in head in his hands and sighs.  
 “I’ve got a job offer... but it’s in Europe.  
I agreed to go... tomorrow morning. Your stuff is packed.”

 You feel sick to your stomach, and your eyes water.  
 “What the hell, dad? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” you croak, fighting back the tears and losing.

 Your dad shrugs. “It slipped my mind... and I know how much you love it here. Ever since your mother died when you were just a baby and we came here... you’ve loved New York. And now you’ve got all these friends...”

 “Yeah!” you snap, “Friends that I’ve got to leave behind, friends that understand me, friends that I like a lot! And Peter... we grew up together, dad. We know almost everything about each other... and you go and do this! I’m... ugh!”  
You storm off into your room, slamming the door shut. Sure enough, there are boxes of your stuff everywhere. The only thing left out is some entertainment for the trip, a mattress to be delivered, your pillow, and a few blankets. Crying, you flop down onto your bed and pull out your phone to call Peter.  
 He picks up on the second ring.

 “Hello?”  
  
 You hesitate for a moment. “H-hey Peter,” you say.

 “Oh, hey Y/N! How’d it go with your dad? Sorry we didn’t get to eat the pizza, I can still save you-“

 “I’m sorry, Peter,” you whisper, your voice hoarse.

 “W-what? Y/N, what are you talking about?”

 You’re biting back tears now. “I’m sorry, Peter. I’m gonna be gone tomorrow, and I probably won’t be back. I hope you understand. I don’t... I don’t want to say goodbye. Not for the last time. I’m sorry.”

 “Y/N-“

 “Just don’t forget me, okay? I-I’m sorry, I promise I will remember you. And maybe we’ll see each other again. It’s not my fault. I’m sorry, Peter.”

 You hang up on him. This can’t be the end. IT CAN’T! A few seconds after, just like you predicted, Peter calls you. But all you can do is throw your phone across the room in a fit of tears and eventually fall asleep.

 

 The next morning, you watch as the boxes are moved into the plane. Your father’s work had provided a private jet to move your stuff and take you to London. Your phone was wrecked from when you through it against the wall. You regretted your conversation with Peter last night... you must’ve sounded like a mess. You were a mess. But still, you had to go to London.

 You never heard from him or tried to contact him... it would probably be too much.

 And that was that.

  
_Two years later_

  
 You gave your dad one last hug in the airport terminal. Today, you would finally go back home. Back to New York!  
He watched as you checked in with the attendant, and you gave one last wave before boarding your one-way flight. Well, expect for visits. But you knew you would never want to leave New York again. Over the years, you never forgot your friendship with Peter. But recently, and it pained you to say this, he had been the last thing on your mind. With high school coming to a close and college applications flying in and out, you were happy to be out of the mess... and into another. A bit less chaotic, though.  
When you finally landed in New York, you trudged your feet through the airport and out into the city. Just like you remembered it! Because of the time difference, it had just turned about 5:30 AM. You hauled all of your stuff into the back of a cab and rode to your dorm.  
On the sidewalk, you shuffled with all of your stuff inside and up the elevator, finding your dorm room and arriving at what would be your home. You didn’t have a roommate, so you had the entire place to yourself. So you took a nap on the mattress they provided.  
 That evening, you decided to fill your fridge and cabinets with food. Your father had given you a start for grocery money, so you made your way to the nearest mart.  
 In your dorm, the boys floor was below the girls floor, and the second floor was security and check in. First floor was mess hall, but few people ate there, unless they were desperate. On your way up from your food run, you struggled to carry all the bags at once. And then you bumped into someone on the stairs, but the idiot just yelled and kept going down. Sighing, you struggled once more to gather up all your stuff. Someone else who was making their way up behind you stopped and picked up the cans of tomato sauce that had fallen.

 When you went to thank him, you didn’t expect to come face to face with Peter Parker.

 He looked older, taller, and, damn, he was cute. His sense of style hadn’t changed as he was wearing a plaid shirt under a sweater and some jeans. His hair was slightly curled and absolutely gorgeous...   
 But right now, you were caught up in his eyes. His big, brown, glittering eyes.

 “Peter?” you squeaked.

 He struggled to find his voice. “Y-Y/N...”  
It was deeper... but it still sounded like Peter.

 It was then that some kid decided to walk up the stairs, and started yelling at you to get a move on. Peter, without a word, grabbed two of the largest shopping bags. Still in slight shock, you made your way up the stairs and to the girls floor. Peter followed you down the hall and to your room.  
 You glanced up at him as you fumbled for your key and pushed the door open, and he did the same, but you both quickly looked away. Once inside, he placed the bags on the countertop and stood there awkwardly for a moment as you tried to balance the four remaining bags and put them down. One was about to fall, but Peter quickly stepped beside you and caught it, and without thinking, placed a hand on your back to help you catch your balance. You stiffened, and looked up at him. Your faces were so close...  
 He grabbed two more bags from you and put them on the counter, and you blinked back into reality. You put the remaining bags down and tucked a loose piece of hair behind your ear.  
  
 “Thanks, Parker,” you say, your voice quiet.

 He nods, and looks down at his feet. Awkward silence and tension fills the room. You take a deep breath and a step forward, and Peter’s head shoots up to look at you. You stop yourself, and search his eyes. Hope, confusion, sorrow, relief... and something else. You’re not sure what.  
 But then, Peter scratches the back of his neck and sighs.

 “You’re welcome, Y/N,” he says quietly, and turns to leave.  
 Before he can, you reach out and grab his wrist. He flinches and grabs your wrist in return, looking ready to flip you or something. You flinch in turn, and your hand drops.

 “S-sorry. I’m sorry, Peter,” you whisper.

 He gives you the saddest smile you’ve ever seen, and his eyes are glimmering. You can feel your heart breaking.

 “I know.”

 And he’s gone, walking down the hall with his hands in his pockets. You don’t know if you’ll see him again... but you really want to.


	3. Spider-Man and Groceries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this fic is a bit short... I have too many ideas for too many other fics and not enough time XD Thanks for reading, commenting, an for leaving kudos! Remember, if you have any requests (ships/prompts) let me know! -TH

 Time passed and you never saw Peter. You were slightly hurt, but you could understand if he never wanted to see you again. Two months after coming to college, you were certain that Peter would never ever want to be your friend again. But what really broke your heart was that over time... you discovered that you loved him. You loved Peter, but you were certain he could never love you. Not after what happened.  
 So you were sitting in the park, dark clouds hanging over your head. And you cried, you cried because you had been an asshole and Peter was so innocent. And you loved him... as you grew older, even in high school, Ned and MJ knew you were crushing on him. God, you felt so alone. Sure, you had made friends in your classes... but Peter had been the best in your entire life.  
 You were so lost in your emotions you didn’t even notice someone sit next to you, until they tapped your shoulder. You whipped your head up, and wiped at your tears. You found yourself looking at Spider-Man. So he was still around.  
  
 “Miss? You okay?”

 Well, that sounded familiar. But probably not. You were just being ridiculous.

 You shrug. “I’m fine... and even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to bother you with it. You’re busy saving this beautiful city. I’m just crying over something stupid.

 Spider-Man put a hand on your shoulder. It all felt so familiar...

 “Nothing could be stupid enough to cry over, yeah? Come on, you won’t be bothering me. Nobody needs saving right now.”

 You smile sadly and sniff. “Well... a long time ago, I had a friend. He was the best friend I’ve ever had... we knew everything about each other, did everything together! It was great... and then...” you sigh. “I moved away. Left him without explaining. My father... he had gotten a job out of here, New York, were we lived, out in Europe. I never explained it to my friend... it was too late, I was such a jerk and I left him with an abrupt phone call. Only after we left did I realize... I really liked him. More than a friend. More than he’ll ever know.”  
By the time you finish, your voice is soft and your bottom lip is quivering. Your eyes are spilling over. You sniff and wipe at your eyes.  
 “I don’t know why I just told you all that... I’m sorry. I just wish I could speak to him again.”  
 You look up at Spider-Man, expecting him to be getting up to go. But instead you notice some growing wet spots on his mask.

 “Don’t be sorry,” he says quietly.

 You laugh and roll your eyes. “You have no idea...”

 He looks down at his lap. “Have you tried talking to m- your friend?”

 You sigh and shake your head. “I haven’t seen him. I figured he was avoiding me. Which is understandable... he probably hates me.”

 Spider-Man sniffs and shuffles his feet.

“Well... maybe you should. Maybe he wants to talk to you?”

 “I doubt it. If he wanted to talk to me... he knows where to find me.”  
You wipe your eyes and stand.  
 “Thanks Spidey. It was nice to talk to someone about that.”

 He nods and stands. “W-well at least let me walk you back to your dorm.”

 You smile and tuck a pice of hair behind your ear. “Okay. That’d be nice.”

 And he does just that.

* * *

 The next day, you don’t have any classes since it’s now spring break. You didn’t want to go back to London just for a week, so you stayed behind to sightsee... and relax.

 But right now you were out on your grocery run for the week. It would be a small one... and then next Saturday you would get some long-lasting stuff. You found yourself at a small farmers market that had a lot of good produce for a small amount of money, and hit it big time with some different foods. Again, you had too much to carry.  
 So you slowly began to make your way up the stairs (the elevator was broken... again) trying very hard to balance the six massive bags. You made it up the first flight of stairs and leaned against the wall to readjust them when you heard a voice. A very familiar voice. One you hadn’t heard in a long time.

 “Here, let me help you... again.”

 There he was, Peter Parker, taking the largest bags from you. You had a flood of emotions wash over you, you wanted to hug him and punch him at the same time. He gave you a small smile and looked up the stairwell.

 “Going up?”

 You nod, wordlessly, and make your way up the stairs. He follows you with your groceries up to your door. You unlock it, and stumble inside.  
 You’ve been in this situation before. How funny, you think, it is that this is how you see each other again. Your groceries. Not in your classes, not in the canteen, not even out in the streets or in a coffee shop. But here with your groceries.  
Peter puts your bags down and shoves his hands in his pockets. You struggle with your bags until Peter helps you with the gentlest and most hesitant of touches.

 Again, you’ve been here before.

 You’re looking up at him with wide eyes, and he’s looking down at you... but there is something different.  
 All you see in his eyes are adoration and sadness. A deep sort of sadness that touches your heart in the most sensitive of ways.

 And then he presses his lips to yours, ever so slowly and ever so softly. Your eyes widen until Peter moves his lips, and they flutter shut. You move your hand to the back of his neck, and you sink deeper into the kiss. Eventually, you pull away and rest your forehead against his.  
  
 “Peter... how, what-“

 “Spider-Man,” he whispers, and looks into your eyes. You bite your lip and throw your arms around him, letting the tears fall.

 “I missed you so much, Peter, I’m so, so sorry...” you whisper, holding onto him tightly. He rubs your back and nuzzles his nose into the hair above your ear.

 “Hey, it’s okay, Y/N...” he whispers. “I know. I understand, it... it was really hard for you. And it’s in he past... I just want to be here with you now.”

 You smile and cup his cheek. “Being with you? Sounds perfect to me,” you whisper.

 Indeed, it was.


End file.
